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Seattle vs Detroit: cost of living, pay and jobs compared
Detroit is the cheaper place to live: overall prices run 11% lower than in Seattle, and housing runs 60% lower. Seattle pays more in dollars (a typical official wage of $72,500 against $52,000), and after local prices are counted the typical paycheck goes further in Seattle ($65,500 against $52,000 in average-US dollars).
The short answer
- Prices: Seattle runs 11% higher than Detroit overall, and housing runs 60% higher.
- To keep the buying power of $100,000 in Detroit, you need about $111,000 in Seattle. To keep $100,000 from Seattle, you need about $90,500 in Detroit.
- Official median wage for all jobs: $72,500 in Seattle, $52,000 in Detroit.
- Median pay listed in open postings: $182,500 in Seattle, $145,000 in Detroit.
- Open postings in our data: 4,540 in Seattle from 533 employers, 1,882 in Detroit from 282 employers.
- Unemployment: 4.8% in Seattle, 5.7% in Detroit (BLS).
Seattle and Detroit side by side
| Measure | Seattle | Detroit | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall price level (US = 100) | 111.1 | 100.3 | Detroit |
| Housing price level | 151.3 | 94.7 | Detroit |
| Official median wage, all jobs | $72,500 | $52,000 | Seattle |
| Paycheck power (wage adjusted for prices) | $65,500 | $52,000 | Seattle |
| Median pay in open postings | $182,500 | $145,000 | Seattle |
| Postings that list pay | 61.3% | 19.1% | Seattle |
| Open postings in our data | 4,540 | 1,882 | – |
| Employers hiring in our data | 533 | 282 | – |
| Unemployment rate (BLS) | 4.8% | 5.7% | Seattle |
| Postings open more than 60 days | 41.8% | 25.2% | Detroit |
| Median days a posting has been open | 44 | 25 | Detroit |
| Entry-level share of postings | 7.2% | 11% | – |
| Remote share of postings | 7.9% | 5% | – |
| Indeed postings index vs Feb 2020 | -32.4% | -7.6% | Detroit |
"Edge" shows which area looks better on that measure (lower prices, higher pay, lower unemployment, fewer stale postings); counts and shares have no edge. Within 2% counts as about the same.
Cost of living
Seattle prices sit 111.1 against a US average of 100 and Detroit at 100.3. The biggest difference is housing: 151.3 in Seattle against 94.7 in Detroit. Utilities are 13% lower in Seattle. The index covers goods and services including rent and home costs, so it measures what a typical household spends, not what your own budget looks like.
| Price level (US = 100) | Seattle | Detroit | Seattle vs Detroit |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 111.1 | 100.3 | 11% higher |
| Housing | 151.3 | 94.7 | 60% higher |
| Goods | 104 | 98.8 | 5% higher |
| Utilities | 92.8 | 107 | 13% lower |
| Other services | 106.8 | 102.6 | 4% higher |
What a salary is worth in each place
Each row keeps your purchasing power the same. The left half moves a salary from Detroit to Seattle; the right half moves it the other way. "If only housing moved" uses the housing price level alone, for someone whose biggest cost is rent or a mortgage.
| Salary in Detroit | Matching salary in Seattle | If only housing moved | Salary in Seattle | Matching salary in Detroit | If only housing moved |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $55,500 | $80,000 | $50,000 | $45,000 | $31,500 |
| $75,000 | $83,000 | $120,000 | $75,000 | $67,500 | $47,000 |
| $100,000 | $111,000 | $160,000 | $100,000 | $90,500 | $62,500 |
| $125,000 | $138,500 | $199,500 | $125,000 | $113,000 | $78,000 |
| $150,000 | $166,000 | $239,500 | $150,000 | $135,500 | $94,000 |
| $200,000 | $221,500 | $319,500 | $200,000 | $180,500 | $125,000 |
As hourly pay (2,080 hours a year): $100,000 a year is about $48.10 an hour; the matching figure is about $53.27 an hour in Seattle for someone earning $100,000 in Detroit.
Pay for the same job
Across the 55 occupations that the Bureau of Labor Statistics measures in both areas, the median wage is higher in Seattle for 55 and higher in Detroit for 0. After local prices are counted, Seattle comes out ahead in 49 and Detroit in 6. The widest gap among the 15 largest occupations is waiters and waitresses: $57,300 in Seattle against $37,500 in Detroit.
| Occupation (15 largest) | Seattle median | Detroit median | Seattle adjusted for prices | Detroit adjusted for prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $167,300 | $130,800 | $150,500 | $130,400 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $48,200 | $35,100 | $43,400 | $35,000 |
| Retail Salespersons | $42,100 | $35,100 | $37,900 | $35,000 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $39,200 | $29,600 | $35,200 | $29,500 |
| Registered Nurses | $128,300 | $97,300 | $115,400 | $97,000 |
| Cashiers | $44,200 | $30,100 | $39,800 | $30,000 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $46,800 | $36,700 | $42,100 | $36,600 |
| General and Operations Managers | $146,000 | $104,000 | $131,400 | $103,700 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $47,700 | $40,300 | $43,000 | $40,200 |
| Office Clerks, General | $53,300 | $45,800 | $48,000 | $45,700 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $53,600 | $44,700 | $48,200 | $44,600 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | $57,300 | $37,500 | $51,500 | $37,400 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | $46,500 | $36,700 | $41,800 | $36,600 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $71,200 | $59,100 | $64,100 | $58,900 |
| Accountants and Auditors | $99,400 | $80,700 | $89,400 | $80,400 |
Median annual wage for everyone in the occupation, all employers, May 2025 (BLS). "Adjusted" divides the wage by the area's price level (BEA, US = 100), so dollars are comparable.
Who is hiring
Seattle's postings lean toward software & technology (32.8%), while Detroit's lean toward manufacturing & industrial (28.9%). The mix matters because pay and hiring conditions differ a lot by industry.
- Largest posters in Seattle: SpaceX (467), Anthropic (183), CoreWeave (146), Shield AI (137), DoorDash USA (134).
- Largest posters in Detroit: General Motors (353), Meijer (94), Scoutmotors (57), Rocket Companies (52), Lucid Motors (48).
Counts are open postings on each employer's own career page in our data; one big employer can shape a local market.
The job market
- Postings have been open a median of 44 days in Seattle and 25 in Detroit; 41.8% and 25.2% have been open more than 60 days.
- Entry-level roles are 7.2% of postings in Seattle and 11% in Detroit; senior and above are 52.5% and 35.7%.
- Fully remote roles are 7.9% of postings in Seattle and 5% in Detroit.
- Indeed's postings index sits 32.4% below its February 2020 level in Seattle and 7.6% below in Detroit.
- 61.3% of postings in Seattle list pay, against 19.1% in Detroit.
Which is better for you?
- If you can keep your current salary and move, the place with the lower price level (Detroit) stretches it further: $100,000 in Seattle has the buying power of about $90,500 in Detroit.
- If you will be paid the local going rate, Seattle comes out ahead after prices on the typical wage ($65,500 against $52,000).
- Software developers: median listed pay is $210,000 in Seattle and $224,000 in Detroit, which is $189,000 and $223,500 in average-US dollars.
- If housing is your biggest cost, the gap there (151.3 vs 94.7) matters more than the overall index.
No place is better for everyone. Taxes, commute, schools, climate and your own spending are not in these numbers.
Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Seattle or Detroit?
Detroit is cheaper. Overall prices run 11% lower than in Seattle, and housing runs 60% lower (BEA regional price parities, 2024, where the US average is 100).
How much do I need to earn in Seattle to match $100,000 in Detroit?
About $111,000 a year, using the ratio of overall price levels (111.1 in Seattle, 100.3 in Detroit). Prices only; taxes are not included.
Which city pays more, Seattle or Detroit?
Seattle has the higher typical wage across all jobs: $72,500 against $52,000 (BLS, May 2025). After local prices, Seattle has the higher paycheck power: $65,500 against $52,000 in average-US dollars.
Which has more job openings?
In the postings we read from employers' own career pages, Seattle has more: 4,540 against 1,882. This is a sample of employer postings, not a census of every job.
Where do these numbers come from?
Prices come from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, wages and unemployment from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and postings from employers' own career pages, collected October 2026. Every figure on this page is in a table or chart above.
More on these places
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA: all the data
- Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI: all the data
- Compare them in the interactive tool
- Cost-of-living ranking · Paycheck power ranking
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Updated October 2026. Prices only: taxes and personal spending are not included. Price levels: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities, 2024. Wages and unemployment: Bureau of Labor Statistics (wages May 2025). Postings: employers' own career pages, October 2026. Methodology